Just A Dream
by Heaven's Archer
Summary: A young soldier died at Alcatraz, and he left behind an eighteen year old fiancee. The other side to the story people never think of. Who is the woman that sits in the shadows at his funeral? Based on the song of the same name by Carrie Underwood.


Disclaimer: I don't own X-men. But I think that except for one, all the characters are mine…hmmm...the plot of X3 definately isn't mine though...neither is the song 'Just A Dream', that's Carrie Underwood's...

Ok, to start off with, yeah, I'm starting another phase. My story, 'Lady of Light', is currently getting stripped and beta'ed, and as I waited for the next chapter to come back from my lovely beta, I thought I'd kill time and write this. I also pride myself in knowing how this works, as it is set in New York, but, I know that it is a military funeral if they are killed in action, so I think this is somewhat realistic. My friend's and I watched X3 the other day and this kind of came into my head. What would have happened if one of those young soldiers that died at Alcatraz had someone waiting at home from them…

**"Just A Dream"**

_It was two weeks after the day she turned eighteen  
All dressed in white  
Going to the church that night_

Marissa Rose looked over her immaculate white satin dress. The veil next to it travelled to the floor as she lifted and carefully put it into a garment bag. The tears poured from her eyes without stopping as she slipped a small diamond ring from her finger and transferred it onto a silver chain that she proceeded to hang around her neck.

_  
She had his box of letters in the passenger seat  
Sixpence in a shoe, something borrowed, something blue  
And when the church doors opened up wide  
She put her veil down  
Trying to hide the tears  
Oh she just couldn't believe it  
She heard trumpets from the military band  
And the flowers fell out of her hand_

'Rissa's black veil fell over her face as she walked shakily in to the church. The trumpets were sounding as the people sat on the benches, more than a few in tears. She looked blankly at the end of the aisle that she was supposed to walk down, the polished, wooden casket at the end, and the tears came again.

Baby why'd you leave me  
Why'd you have to go?  
I was counting on forever, now I'll never know  
I can't even breathe

Marissa struggled to breathe through the sobs that racked her body as she looked at her dead fiancé's pale face. David's eyes were closed and he looked so peaceful he could have been sleeping. It took all she had not to try to shake him awake, saying how he'd scared everyone so much and to hear him laugh about the greatest joke he had pulled yet.

_  
It's like I'm looking from a distance  
Standing in the background  
Everybody's saying, he's not coming home now  
This can't be happening to me  
This is just a dream_

She clutched at the ring around her neck as she was blinded by the tears, imagining it differently. She would be in her white dress and everyone would be happy, cheering as they recited the vows. The pews would be covered in jasmine and cherry blossoms, her and David's favourite flowers. The flowers they had sat under on their first date. But they couldn't, not ever, it was just a dream that was never meant to come true.

The preacher man said let us bow our heads and pray  
Lord please lift his soul, and heal this hurt  
Then the congregation all stood up and sang the saddest song that she ever heard

They all sang the songs in such haunting voices Marissa wanted them to shut up. She wanted to cover her ears and scream at the top of her lungs for them to be quiet.

_  
Then they handed her a folded up flag  
And she held on to all she had left of him  
Oh, and what could have been  
And then the guns rang one last shot  
And it felt like a bullet in her heart_

She received the flag slowly from David's closest military friend. He saluted her stiffly before marching back in place. The twenty-one gun salute rang through the approaching darkness as everyone else started to leave, the grave beginning to be covered.

Baby why'd you leave me  
Why'd you have to go?  
I was counting on forever, now I'll never know  
I can't even breathe

Marissa fell to her knees in front of the grave, sobs once again racking her body. The priest rested his hand on her shoulder for a few moments before leaving her alone. She wasn't even sure what was happening around her anymore. She was too far gone.

_  
It's like I'm looking from a distance  
Standing in the background  
Everybody's saying, he's not coming home now  
This can't be happening to me  
This is just a dream_

Ororo stood in the shadows, looking at the woman kneeled in front of the grave of the man that had saved her life. He had taken the flameball aimed at her by Pyro head on, knowing exactly what would happen, but with a grim determination in his eyes. He, a human, had given his life to protect her, a mutant, and hadn't cared. He had left so much behind, she realised as she looked again at the woman holding an engagement ring the fell from a chain.

Oh,  
Baby why'd you leave me  
Why'd you have to go?  
I was counting on forever, now I'll never know  
Oh, now I'll never know

Marissa looked around slowly as the white haired woman neared her, kneeling next to her. The woman smiled sadly at her, before wiping Marissa's eyes with a white handkerchief. She helped the broken girl to her feet and led her inside, as the rain finally started to pour down.

_  
It's like I'm looking from a distance  
Standing in the background  
Everybody's saying, he's not coming home now  
This can't be happening to me  
This is just a dream_

'What's your name?' Marissa asked, as was expected of her being the wife-to-be of the deceased. Deal with everyone else's grief, as well as your own and be perfectly respectable, despite the circumstances, 'How did you know David?'

The woman smiled. 'My name is Ororo, but many just call me Storm…your husband saved my life. He shouldn't have though, he shouldn't have bothered.'

Marissa was shocked. They hadn't told her he'd saved someone. Suddenly, some of her own grief was gone and was replaced by compassion for the older woman. She must be feeling terrible, seeing all the grievers here and knowing David was dead because he'd saved her.

She smiled. 'That was the kind of person he was…that's what I'd loved about him…' she trailed off before looking around again, 'this was the church we were going to get married in, you know. I had my dress and everything.'

Ororo's tears made trails down her face as she left the young woman to grieve in peace, but she wasn't gone before she heard the girl whisper one last thing.

'It was just a dream…'

Oh, this is just a dream  
Just a dream  
Yeah, Yeah


End file.
